First Stop Beyond the Sahara: Riding Into St. Louis, Senegal

After nearly three weeks on the road, the miles blur together — desert tracks, mountain passes, remote border posts, and long stretches of tarmac slicing through silence. Then, suddenly, it changes. You cross the Senegal River and the world explodes into colour, sound, movement.

Welcome to St. Louis — your first real taste of sub-Saharan Africa. It’s loud. It’s chaotic. It’s brilliant.

From Silence to Symphony

The contrast couldn’t be greater. One moment you’re cruising through wide, open plains. The next, you’re weaving between horse-drawn carts, scooters, children shouting “toubab!” and goats with absolutely no road awareness. There are no lane markings. No rules that make immediate sense. But somehow, everything moves. It’s alive.

You feel the heat differently here — thicker, heavier, tinged with spice and exhaust fumes. The breeze carries smells of woodsmoke, market fruit, grilled fish, and diesel. Music spills out from street corners. People laugh, shout, call out as you ride past.

It’s overwhelming — and unforgettable.

Colonial charm meets raw energy. St. Louis was once the capital of French West Africa. You see echoes of it in the faded colonial buildings, the wrought-iron balconies, and the wide avenues of the old town on the island. But the French left long ago, and what remains is something far more vibrant. This is Africa — raw, friendly, buzzing with energy.

You cross the long, rattling bridge onto the island and suddenly you’re riding through a film set — or so it feels. Fishermen mend nets. Children play football barefoot. Motorbikes dart between donkeys. It’s the kind of place where you don’t just pass through — you experience it.

One of Those Moments

Later, parked up with a cold drink in hand and the sun sinking behind the river, you pause and realise: I’m here. I’m really here. You’ve crossed the Sahara. You’ve ridden your bike into West Africa. You’ve made it to a place few riders ever see — not just on a map, but in person.

For many, St. Louis is the turning point. The moment the trip goes from epic to something more. More human. More emotional. More real. It’s no longer just about the ride. It’s about the people, the places, the grit, the smiles, the chaos.

This is why you came.